Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing apparatus, a printing method, and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.
Description of the Related Art
A printing apparatus which prints an image by performing record scanning and sub scanning repeatedly has been known. The record scanning may discharge ink by moving a print head in a scanning direction relative to a unit region on a printing medium, the print head having a discharge port array having a plurality of discharge ports. The sub scanning may convey the printing medium in a conveying direction intersecting the scanning direction.
In such a printing apparatus, it is known that an ink sucking operation directing ink toward the vicinity of discharge ports within a print head may be executed at each of predetermined time intervals in order to fill ink storage structures within the print head and prevent clogging in discharge ports. When such an ink sucking operation is executed, air bubbles may be produced within a channel used for conveying ink. It is possible for such air bubbles to cause defective discharge of ink in printing.
To address this issue, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-78068 discloses determining whether a predetermined time period has passed since execution of an ink sucking operation, and controlling the printing apparatus to maintain a standby state without starting ink discharging until the predetermined time period has passed. According to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-78068, because air bubbles occurring within a channel, if any, may disappear after a standby state is kept for a predetermined time period before starting ink discharging, by using the above techniques, printing can be executed without causing defective ink discharge during printing.
However, it has been found that the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-78068 may unnecessarily increase printing time because printing is not started until a predetermined time period has passed after execution of a sucking operation.